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# The core shackles of traditional Web2 e-commerce

Despite the continuous expansion of market scale, the Web2 e-commerce model centered on platform centralization has shown signs of fatigue, with structural pain points that cannot be resolved through self-optimization: 1. Unfair value distribution and exorbitant commissions: Pain point: Centralized platforms like Amazon and Alibaba act as "digital landlords," charging merchants 15%-30% commissions (according to Marketplace Pulse data), severely squeezing profit margins for small and medium-sized businesses. Outcome: Merchants pass costs on to consumers, creating a zero-sum game where "platforms enrich while users pay more." 2. Data silos and user rights deprivation: Pain point: Platforms monopolize user data and consumption behaviors, preventing consumers—key contributors to the ecosystem—from sharing in the immense value generated by their data (e.g., through targeted advertising revenue). Nobel laureate Robert Mundell's theory of "consumers should participate in profit distribution from social production" remains unfulfilled. Outcome: Users become "products" rather than "sovereigns," leading to unsustainable consumer relationships. 3. Global payment barriers and high costs: Pain point: Traditional cross-border payments rely on SWIFT and similar intermediary systems, featuring cumbersome processes, exorbitant fees, and long processing times (typically 3-5 business days). While payment methods continue to diversify, fundamental issues of trust and efficiency persist. This hinders the true realization of borderless global commerce, particularly being highly unfriendly to merchants in developing countries.

### Lack of trust and traceability:

Pain point: The problem of fake and shoddy goods keeps emerging in an endless stream, and it is difficult for users to verify the true source and circulation process of goods (especially luxury goods). The trust cost is ultimately borne by honest businesses and consumers.


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